Frequently Asked Questions - Assignment Code Explanations

What Can I Teach with my License?

An educator's license consists of three codes that help describe what an educator can teach or duties he or she can perform while working under this license. The following three codes make up any educator license issued:

1. The two-digit position/level code describes the administrative or pupil service position or if teaching, the level code will describe the grades or ages of children the teacher can teach (except with elementary education).
2. The three-digit subject code further describes what subjects a teacher can teach to those students within the grade or age range described with the Position/Level code. If an administrative or pupil service license, the subject code will be 000 with the exception of the old codes used for school counselor (subject code 966) or reading specialist (subject code 317).
3. The two-digit type code describes the type of license or permit an educator holds, which determines how an educator renews that license or permit, if possible.

Listed below are the most common inquiries we receive regarding what teaching assignments are allowed with various teaching subject codes.

You can look up the position and subject codes of any Wisconsin educator license using our On-line License Look-up function. Also, we have a complete list of license, subject and position codes.

Bilingual Education

Computer Science

Early Childhood/4-Year Old Kindergarten

Elementary Education

ESL

Math

Music

PLTW

Reading

Science

Social Studies

BILINGUAL EDUCATION

Bilingual Education is a supplemental (add-on) license allowing teachers to teach subjects for which they are otherwise certified in two languages. For example, a teacher certified to teach early adolescence-adolescence Math (400) would be able to teach math in two languages to ages 10-21. A teacher certified to teach middle childhood - early adolescence regular education (777) would be able to teach the core academic subjects of math, social studies, language arts and science to ages 6-12 or 13 in two languages. The bilingual license also enables an educator to teach ESL at the grade or developmental level of the educator's license.

COMPUTER SCIENCE / KEYBOARDING

Computer science:

• A computer science (405) license is required to teach computer courses which contain more than 25% programming content.
• Introductory computer literacy courses containing less than 25% programming content may be taught by any licensed regular education teacher who is licensed for the grade level of the course.

Computer graphics:

• If the class is for business education credit, a business education (250 or 251) license is required.
• If the class is for technical education credit, a technical education (220) license is required.
• If the class is for art credit, an art (550) license is required.

Computer applications/literacy:

• Computer application/literacy courses within specific disciplines may be taught by any teacher licensed in that discipline.
• Any licensed regular education elementary teacher may teach computer literacy to his/her self-contained classroom at the grade levels of his/her elementary education license.

Keyboarding:

• Keyboarding taught in the 7-12 grades must be taught by a licensed business education teacher (250 or 251) OR a business education teacher with a specific license for keyboarding (previously typewriting) (265).
• Keyboarding taught in grades lower than 7th grade must be taught under one of the following options:
  
  1. a business education teacher licensed for K-12
  2. a licensed elementary teacher instructing their own students
  3. a team consisting of a business education teacher licensed for grades 7-12 and the classroom teacher

EARLY CHILDHOOD/FOUR-YEAR OLD KINDERGARTEN

• Four-year old kindergarten can be taught by an educator who holds an elementary education license that includes prekindergarten or kindergarten in the subject code. Please see http://dpi.wi.gov/ec/ec4yrpag.html for more information.
  

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

• A license in regular education or elementary education allows the educator to teach any subject in a self-contained class, except a foreign language, and the following subjects in a departmentalized or other school organization pattern: language arts, mathematics, science, social science, and health within the grade or developmental range of the educator's license.
  
• A license in a discrete content field is required if the content course is offered for graduation credit.
  
• High School Credit for Mathematics Classes
  

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL)

ESL (395) licensure allows the educator to teach the English language to English Language Learners (while supporting core academic subject instruction provided by the classroom teacher) at the grade or developmental level of the educator's license.

MUSIC

• 500 Music (all) (for program completers before 1982)
  May teach any music categories in grades K-12.
  
• 505 Music (instrumental)
  May teach instrumental music K-12.
  May teach general music grades 7-12
  
• 506 Instrumental Music
  May teach all band and orchestral instruments and ensembles made up of these instruments in grades K-12.
  May also teach individual or small group instruction on band or orchestral instruments and enrichment courses in music theory or conducting.
  
• 510 Music (vocal)
  May teach choral and general music grades K-12.
  
• 511 Choral Music
  May teach large and small choral ensembles plus voice and vocal techniques.
  May also teach secondary level enrichment courses in music theory or conducting.
  
• 511 Choral Music
  May teach large and small choral ensembles plus voice and vocal techniques.
  May also teach secondary level enrichment courses in music theory or conducting.
  

515 General Music:

• Grades K-6
  May teach classroom music plus large and small choral ensembles.
  May also provide instruction on fretted instruments, keyboard, melodic percussion (steel drums), and rhythm instruments.
  
• Grades 7-12
  May teach all music courses other than band, orchestral or choral performing groups. Included are such courses as music theory, conducting, music history, fretted instruments, electronic music, keyboard, humanities, allied arts, folk music, music appreciation, etc.
  

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY

Information may be found on the Content and Learning Team's Technology and Engineering Introductory Page. Scroll to the middle of the page, then use the links found in the Resources column.
You may link directly to the documents using the links below:

• Wisconsin PLTW High School Teacher Licensing
• Who May Teach PLTW at the Middle School Level?

READING

Elementary Teachers Teaching in Elementary, Middle, or Junior High Schools

A reading teacher (316) license is required for the following assignments:

1. A reading assignment for more than one class per day;
2. A reading assignment in a Title 1 program identified as a reading program;
3. A reading assignment in a reading recovery program, if not part of a self-contained classroom.

A reading teacher license is not required for the following assignments:

1. A reading assignment which is a part of a regular self-contained classroom;
2. A reading assignment which is integrated as part of content courses (i.e. reading in the content area).

SCIENCE

• 600 Science (all) (for program completers before 7/1/1980)
  May teach anything in the 600 science range at the appropriate grade range.
  
• 601 Broadfield Science (for program completers 7/1/1980-8/31/2004)
  May teach any science up through grade 9 (within specific grade levels of the educator's license).
  May teach any science for grades 10-12 EXCEPT discrete courses in Biology (605), Chemistry (610), Physics (625), and Earth/Space Science (635).
  
• 601 Broadfield Science (for program completers 8/31/2004 - present)
  A person with a broad field science license issued under PI 34 rules may teach any science class at the early adolescence-adolescence level, up through grade 10, and any basic or fusion science class in grades 11-12 that is not: A) a semester-long discrete course in a PI 34 science subcategory - e.g. life and environmental science; B) an honors, IB, or advanced placement course; C) part of the college preparatory sequence and/or an elective course with more depth of content than basic courses. To teach a course under the criteria in A, B, or C (above), the teacher must hold a license based on completion of at least a concentration in that subject area.
  
• #27-620 General Science
  May teach any science for grades 7-8.
  May teach general science and physical science (637) for grade 9.
  May teach general science for grades 10-12.
  
• #37-621 Science
  May teach any science for grades 6-8.
  May teach general science and physical science (637) for grade 9, (including for high school credit).*
  
• #46-621 Science
  May teach any science for grades 1-8.
  May teach general science for grade 9, (including for high school credit).*
  
• 635 Earth/Space Science
  May teach any Earth or Space Science including Astronomy (627).
  

SOCIAL STUDIES

• 700 Social Studies (all) (for program completers before 7/1/1972)
  May teach anything within the 700 social studies range at the appropriate grade range EXCEPT Psychology (740) and Religion (755).
  
• 701 Broadfield Social Studies (for program completers 7/1/1972-8/31/2004)
  May teach any social studies class up through grade 9 (within specific grade levels of the educator's license).
  May teach "fusion" courses for grades 10-12. (Fusion courses are those drawn from several of the social studies disciplines, e.g. American problems, civics, social problems, vital issues, etc.)
  
• 701 Broadfield Social Studies (for program completers 8/31/2004 - present)
  A person with a broad field social studies license issued under PI 34 rules may teach any social studies class at the early adolescence-adolescence level, up through grade 10, and any basic or fusion social studies class in grades 11-12 that is not: A) a semester long discrete course in a PI 34 social studies subcategory - e.g. psychology; B) an honors, IB, or advanced placement course; C) part of the college preparatory sequence and/or an elective course with more depth of content than basic courses. To teach a course under the criteria in A, B, or C (above), the teacher must hold a license based on completion of at least a concentration in that subject area.
  

Other questions about licensure and teaching assignments may be directed to Educator Licensing.

Last updated on 10/27/2009 7:00:23 AM